Thailand abstained during the UN vote to condemn Russia’s annexation of four regions of Ukraine because it believes that such condemnation, when the situation in Ukraine is escalating, will reduce the chances of resolving the conflict through diplomatic means, according to an explanation issued by Thailand’s Foreign Ministry today (Thursday).
Thailand is, however, strongly opposed to intimidation or the use of force by one state against the territorial sovereignty of another and to the use of force to annex territory of another state without provocation, said the Thai Foreign Ministry.
The United Nations General Assembly voted overwhelmingly yesterday to condemn Russia’s attempts to annex regions in Ukraine.
The resolution was supported by 143 countries, while 35 states, including Thailand, China and India, abstained. In addition to Russia, four countries rejected the vote, namely Belarus, North Korea, Syria and Nicaragua.
It was the largest vote against Russia since the invasion of Ukraine.
The resolution calls on the international community not to recognise any of Russia’s annexation claims and demands their immediate reversal. It welcomes and expresses strong support for efforts to de-escalate the conflict through negotiation.
As a sovereign state, the Thai Foreign Ministry said that Thailand has upheld the United Nations Charter and international laws and has also upheld the principle of mutual respect and recognition of the sovereignty and territorial integrity of all states, in accordance with the UN Charter.
Thailand, said the Ministry, is genuinely concerned that the increasing political polarisation in the international community will be counterproductive to efforts to end the war in Ukraine and that the condemnation may lead to the hardening of positions, which will reduce the chance of constructive interactions.
Thailand, according to the Foreign Ministry, is saddened by the destruction in Ukraine and the suffering of its people and calls on all parties concerned to de-escalate their conflict and violence and try to resolve the conflict through peaceful means.
Human security and the right to life are pillars of the international charter on human rights and, today, the people of Ukraine, and many more, are being deprived of these rights. It is, therefore, the paramount duty and responsibility of the United Nations to restore peace and normality to the people of Ukraine, according to the Thai Foreign Ministry.
